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Stan Lee Gets A Public Celebration At The Chinese Theatre Later This Month
From the poster for the Stan Lee celebration, Excelsior!, scheduled at the Chinese Theater for Jan. 30, 2019. (Courtesy Legion M)
The co-creator of Spider-Man, the X-Men, and many more died in November -- but a newly announced tribute event gives fans a chance to celebrate Stan Lee's life. "Excelsior! A Celebration of the Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible & Uncanny Life of Stan Lee" is set for Wednesday, Jan. 30 at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
The event starts with a public appreciation for Lee outside the theater featuring what organizers describe as "fan-favorite speakers," along with an art exhibit celebrating his legacy, costumes and props from both his movie cameos and the characters he created, and a musical performance. There's also a moment of remembrance planned, with the crowd gathering around his Chinese Theatre hand and foot imprint.
The event continues with a private tribute inside the theater hosted by writer/director/host Kevin Smith. He'll be moderating conversations with people sharing their favorite memories of Stan. The event closes with video tributes to Lee, along with live performances of his favorite music and poetry.
In a press release, Smith expressed his love for Lee:
"Thank you, Stan, for making me not only the boy I was but also the man I am today. You had great power and you always used it responsibly, fostering billions of dreamers who all know your name -- a name written in the stars for all time. You were not just the literary titan of comic books, you were our modern-day Mark Twain."
The guests include Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld, Batman movie producer Michael Uslan, actor Vincent D'Onofrio, rapper RZA, X-Men movie franchise producer Tom DeSanto, Luke Skywalker (OK, fine, Mark Hamill), and others.
Proceeds from the event are set to benefit the Hero Initiative, which the event's organizers describe as one of Stan's favorite charities. It supports comic book creators in need.
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The event is being organized by fan entertainment company Legion M, which worked with Lee in his later years. They're co-producing the event along with several other organizations.
"We feel this tribute is a perfect opportunity for Stan's beloved fans to unite with celebrities and friends of Stan to give the man the grand sendoff he deserves," Legion M's David Baxter said in a statement.
Pow! Entertainment, which Lee co-founded, is also part of the event -- they note that they own the Stan Lee name and original content he created since 2001. Lee filed a billion-dollar fraud suit against the company, but he dropped the suit last year and issued a statement saying he was getting back into business with them..
The event's schedule:
4-6 p.m. Activities in the Chinese Theatre's outdoor forecourt
6 p.m. Red carpet arrivals
7:30-9:30 p.m. The tribute inside the Chinese Theatre's IMAX theater
9:30-11:30 p.m. A post-tribute reception
Tickets for the tribute go on sale at 5 p.m. today. The packages listed on their site aren't cheap -- they start at $150.
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